Defying the odds, 4 year old might be home for Christmas

Ksdk - No one is more thankful this Thanksgiving than the family of four year old Bryson Palmer. The Palmers are from Toledo, Ohio and though they are spending Thanksgiving far from home here in St. Louis, they feel lucky.

"It's amazing how far he's come," says Katie Palmer, Bryson's mother. Bryson spent the 4th of July, Halloween and now Thanksgiving at St. Louis Children's hospital as he continues his physical therapy.

His physical therapist, Rebecca Pendino is also impressed with Bryson's improvements. "He was in the hospital for such a long time and was in bed most of that time so I really want him to move and walk around and do what other kids his age are doing."

When he was just four months old, Bryson was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, after doctors found a malignant tumor in his abdomen. Bryson was given just a 30% chance of survival. It took 18 months of treatment, but Bryson was finally diagnosed as cancer free.

That didn't, however, mean he was healthy. The chemotherapy used to cure his cancer permanently damaged his lungs. He was sent from his hometown of Toledo, Ohio to St. Louis to wait for a double lung transplant. After twelve weeks of waiting, Bryson had his operation.

It's been almost 3 months since that operation and instead of spending the night connected to machines, Bryson now gets to spend the night with his mom at the Ronald McDonald House. That's a charity that provides a home-away-from home for families of seriously ill children.

"Our goal is to be home for Christmas and as long as everything stays on the right track I think that will happen," says Palmer.